Tuesday, March 10, 2009

So Many Choices

See's Candies opened their first shop in 1929 in Los Angeles, California. My mother-in-law grew up in Los Angeles and one of her favorite places to go was the See's candy shop. She said the smell of chocolate wafted from it for miles around and it was heavenly. Her earliest memories of going to See's was for Easter treats. Mainly she and her siblings got jelly beans and such in their Easter baskets, but her parents took them to See's to pick out one nice piece of Easter candy, usually a chocolate covered marshmallow egg, for their baskets.

To this day, See's is still my mother-in-law's favorite chocolate and a treat for our family, too. When a nice person from See's wrote and asked if I'd like a box of chocolates to play with and blog about, it was a no-brainer to say yes. The only part that required brain cells was what I'd do with the chocolates when they came (besides eat them, I mean). Should I chop them up and stir them into brownies or add them to cookie dough? Maybe slice them and sandwich them between cookies? (Or just eat them. No, must restrain myself!)

When the chocolates arrived and I opened the box, I decided they were too pretty to chop up and hide. So I used them to garnish devil's food cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting (after sneaking just one from the box- mmm). I liked the idea of serving them at a party, so guests could pick their favorite chocolate and get a cupcake, too!

I must say that I had a lot of help with this project. I mean a lot. It seemed like everyone was eager to be a helper when there was an open box of chocolates nearby. And after I was done taking pictures, I had a lot of offers to help with the clean up. Lick the bowl? Check. Lick the spatula? Check. Help eat the chocolates? Check, check, check.

Thanks, See's for the fun treat! But, dear reader, don't be pouty that you're only looking at delicious chocolates, not eating them. I get to give away a $25 gift certificate to See's! If you'd like to win, leave a comment with your favorite treat from See's (or that you've never tried See's candies). I'll draw the winner over the weekend and announce it next Monday. And if you post a link for the contest on Facebook, MySpace, or on your blog, you can come back and leave a comment telling me about it for an extra entry.

1- Preheat oven to 350 deg. F with racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line three 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

2- Sift together the flour, cocoas, baking soda and salt into a small bowl. Set aside.

3- In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until it's smooth. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4- Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk and the vanilla. After each addition, scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake papers, filling them about 3/4 full.

5- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Rotate the pans top to bottom halfway through the baking time.

6- Cool in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

This is my new favorite frosting. It's smooth, creamy, not too sweet, without the harsh edge that powdered sugar can impart to a frosting. It's a bit persnickety to make, but totally worth it for the creamy, dreamy taste and texture. I'm going to use it as filling next time I make Twinkies!

1- In a medium saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk until smooth. Place over medium heat and, stirring constantly, cook until the mixture becomes very thick and begins to bubble, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from heat, press waxed paper directly on the surface, and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

2- In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat the butter for 3 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating continuously for 3 minutes, until fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat well.

3- Add the cooled milk mixture, and continue to beat at medium high speed for 5 minutes, until very smooth and noticeably whiter in color. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes exactly (set a timer). Use immediately.

I had leftover frosting and put it in the refrigerator. I set up like a brick. It softens again at room temperature, but I haven't figured out yet if the creamy quality can be regained by beating it again.

This cupcake + frosting combo is a huge family favorite. I've been baking them since picking up "More from Magnolia" a few years ago. I always experiment with others but keep coming back to these...YUM!

I am so glad you posted this because even Steve (the European too-sweet-is-not-for-me) liked the frosting. He also liked it with the chocolate cupcake, which is saying a lot.

On the other hand, I feel rather slighted now, knowing I was given cupcakes with frosting, but no chocolates. I am quite dismayed that I was snubbed -sniff, sniff-, despite the fact that I had come to your door -sob- (are you feeling sorry for me yet?) -sniff-

My favorite has and will always be the maple creams. I love the hard crunch of the chocolate only to discover the yummy, sweet gooey filling.

Man, do these cucpakes look gorgeous! No wonder everyone wanted to help out: look at the amazing end result!! My favorite See's are their toffee crunch candies! Mmm, but everything is so good. I was in their store the other day, and all of the Easter candy is just beautiful!

Sam and I always get the yummy peanut butter patties that they have. They give you three for one. It's AWESOME. They remind me of summer's, holding the cute little sees bag, and going for a walk with Sam. Mmmm.

Well, I don't comment all that often Lynncredible, but I certianly do read and try some of your wonderful recipes! But seeing the chance to win CHOCOLATE??!!! That is what mollytopia is all about!

See's a Christmas traditionin our family now. And when my grandparents were still alive every Easter all of the grandkids would receive a special See's Egg. I always hoped I would get the fudge filled one and would slowly nibble away at mine, slicing it with a knife in small pieces... :)

We love See's candies! My extended family used to buy boxes of the Nuts and Chews for gifts for the rest of the family every year for Christmas. And, they are a common fundraiser with their yummy candy bars! I think my favorite is the chocolate with toffee bits.... Yummy!

Boy, this post about See's Candy brings back memories. About a hundred years ago, more or less, I was a mere tadpole working on a US military base overseas. There was no lack of scrumptious local chocolates to enjoy, but my Californian suitemate was crazy about See's Candy. Her stateside relatives would mail regular fixes of See's. Makes me smile, remembering. Wow, both See's and I have been kicking around this old earth a long time.